"My head! My head hurts terribly!"
He slowly opened his eyes, glimpsing the blue of the sky and the tall trees surrounding him. Unsure of where he was, he simply observed the area, writhing in pain.
He put a hand to his head, his eyes half-closed, and muttered in a thick voice:
"Ugh, my head... Where am I?"
He shot up, startled, as he recalled the events on the rooftop. He then began to touch his completely naked body, fear filling his features as he exclaimed:
"Impossible! How am I still alive...?"
He wandered through the vast forest, where various shrubs were scattered; some embraced the sky with their height, while others remained short.
The shorter ones leaned towards a warm yellow, as if spilling a golden sheen that shimmered with every sunbeam piercing the branches.
On the ground, the space was adorned with multi-shaped rocks and wild flowers that caught his eye. The breeze was light and refreshing, and the scent of the morning filled the air, making every breath pure perfume.
He spoke calmly:
"Am I in Heaven after everything I did...? Impossible, I killed him! Yes, I smashed his head. How could I possibly be here? My place is Hell... Hell!"
His voice gradually rose:
"I'm completely naked... Am I really in Heaven?"
His expression began to mix, and a drop of joy crept into his soul, and he spoke with enthusiasm:
"Thank you, God, for my new chance."
Ethan spotted a short shrub with deep purple leaves bearing strange-shaped fruit. They weren't round or oval, but took the shape of a pentagonal pyramid. Their surface was rough, covered with fine, velvety cilia the color of deep azure blue.
He rushed over, plucked one, and bit the pointed edge. Immediately, a liquid sparkling in the color of light jade green burst from inside the fruit.
His eyes widened, and he devoured the entire piece in one bite, saying delightedly:
"It tastes like a mix of sourness and mint, it's truly delicious!"
As soon as he finished eating, his movements immediately became cautious; he no longer looked ahead with the intent to explore, but downward at the ground, searching for cover.
He began looking for trees with large, sturdy leaves. After a while, he stopped before a bizarrely shaped tree whose branches were huge and spread everywhere, and its leaves were giant, completely capable of covering his body.
With agility, Ethan climbed the tree and picked five dark green, huge leaves. He threw them down and tried to descend, but unfortunately, he fell, his rough body scraping against the tree trunk. His legs and hands trembled from the sharp pain.
But he didn't care, as if the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of his soul. He cut some leaves to design a shape that covered the lower part of his body. He picked up a thin, strong branch as a belt, then skillfully tied the leaves with it.
Despite his earnest attempt, the garment looked flimsy and could tear at any moment, but at least he wouldn't walk naked through the forest.
His features crumpled slightly, and he said, panting:
"Don't tell me I have to hunt animals... My God, please let it rain Blini."
He lifted his head to the sky and opened his hands, waiting for his favorite food to rain down, but nothing happened, which made him doubt.
"Am I really in Heaven?"
The joy turned into fear, and his body began to tremble slightly:
"Did they... think I was dead and dumped me in the forest?"
His feet trembled violently as if there was an earthquake beneath him. He put his hand on his backside, then sighed and said:
"Nothing happened to me... but where am I? I have to find the road quickly before the sun sets."
"I've never seen these fruits or these trees before. Could I be on a lost island? How did I even survive? The rooftop was so high..."
He felt a dryness in his throat, and acidity dried his mouth:
"I feel thirsty."
His tongue became sticky, and he felt as if his throat had turned to sand; the fruit was the cause of his thirst. His eyes no longer searched for adventure or concealment, but for any sign of moisture.
After a long time wandering the forest searching for any source of water, he found nothing.
He sat on the ground, reviewing the events that occurred, trying to grasp what was happening to him.
His face clouded, and he spoke again:
"Did Liam kidnap me? Could I find Liam here... Why did I do that to him? Whyyyy? I'm stupid, stupid, I'm a whore..."
"Also I didn't mean to kill Fyodor; my anger is the reason, not me... I wouldn't kill someone in my life... I hope the police find me before my corpse decomposes here."
"Wait... Am I actually dead? But I feel pain... Am I in another world?"
He smiled strangely and said loudly:
"A new world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a screeching sound coming from behind the bushes, causing him to quickly grab a rock and say in a sharp tone:
"Who's there... Show yourself!"
Ethan watched closely, his heart pounding louder and drumming in his ears, exhausted from thirst. Suddenly, without warning, a strange creature burst forth from behind a clump of twisting bushes, instilling terror deep within Ethan.
Its body was not flesh and bone, but rather resembled a completely transparent, glassy formation, reflecting the scattered branches and sunlight as if it were a moving piece of transparent air.
Its limbs were thin and pointed like spears, ending in lethal sharpness, reflecting the forest shadows like green laser beams.
Its face gleamed like a polished mirror, without clear features except for two hard, crystalline eyes and intensely sharp crystal teeth, like deadly shards of ice.
It was twice Ethan's height, and its body was thin. Parts of its glassy body reflected quick, confusing flashes of the forest colors, making it seem to disappear and reappear with every movement.
Ethan remained frozen in place, like a statue carved from absolute fear. His feet trembled with involuntary violence, and his wide hazel eyes tried to escape and run without moving.
All he could do was a desperate act dictated by instinct and challenge: he threw the rock with all his might toward the spectral creature.
The rock struck one of the creature's glassy limbs. A sharp, ringing sound, like shattering glass, was heard, and sparkling crystalline shards scattered in the air for a brief moment.
But the real shock was not the creature shattering, but what followed.
In less than a blink of an eye, the scattered shards began to vibrate and fly back to their original place, as if they were metal pieces being collected by an invisible magnet. Ethan watched, in silent horror, how the glass reformed itself, restoring the creature's hand to its previous state, with its lethal sparkle, as if nothing had happened.
"I can't move!"
"What is this transparent being?"
"How... Even my breathing is becoming difficult, I'm going to suffocate. What's happening to me... How can this monster exist in our world!"
"It's approaching slowly, it's approachinggg, what do I do! How do I escape?"
Step after step, until the being stopped directly in front of him, reaching up to Ethan's chest. The first thing Ethan noticed was his own reflection in the creature.
The creature spoke words Ethan didn't understand; its voice was like the gurgling of water.
Ethan fell to the ground and stammered:
"Wh-wh-what do you... want from me?"
The glassy creature let out a scream that wasn't a sound in the familiar sense, but rather a sharp, glassy explosion that pierced the ears.
The loudness wasn't as terrifying as its nature; the air vibrated violently, and Ethan felt as if a thousand crystalline needles were piercing his eardrums.
The sonic wave's impact was so strong that the tree leaves began to shake, and even the soil on the ground scattered, causing Ethan to scream too, covering his ears with his hands, and running away as fast as he could.
He ran non-stop for several minutes until his body stopped from sheer exhaustion, and he leaned against a smooth, moss-covered rock, panting heavily, his sweat dripping onto the ground.
He placed his hand on his chest, still gasping for breath:
"What was that thing... I saw death in front of me. How can there be monsters in our world?"
Ethan took advantage of the precious moment behind the giant rock, panting and struggling to regain his breath.
His body was still shaking from the crystalline scream and the chase, but the danger had temporarily subsided, leaving his self-reproach in a distant corner of his mind. Now, all that remained was the burning thirst that threatened to end everything.
After a few seconds of unsettling calm, Ethan pushed his exhausted body to get up. He no longer had time for analysis; it was about immediate survival. He began to move slowly, cautious with every step, afraid that his leaf covering might tear.
As he advanced through the dense trees, he suddenly heard a sound that was neither the gurgle of glass nor a scream of terror, but the gentle, continuous trickle of running water.
Ethan didn't trust the sound, wary that the monster might be luring him, but he followed the sound with caution and a frantic craving, pushing himself forward despite the pain and danger.
As soon as he noticed the river, hope returned to him, and he rushed towards it until he reached it.
In that moment, Ethan no longer thought about his past or the world; he collapsed to his knees and drank greedily, washing away his dryness and filling his body with cold life.
After quenching his thirst, Ethan felt a little clarity return to his confused mind and spoke to himself again:
"Rivers always lead to civilization. I must hurry and follow the river, as the sun is about to set."
Ethan looked at the river, then at the direction the water was flowing. He also noticed small fish swimming. A new look of determination flashed in his eyes, the look of a fighter just starting his mission.
Ethan gripped a branch firmly to help him walk and set off against the current of the water, filled with countless questions. He knew for sure he would find civilization, which motivated him to complete the journey.
Ethan continued walking for long hours. The sun had set, replaced by the full moon, bathing the forest in cold, silver light. Every step he took increased the ache in his exhausted body and confirmed that thirst was close to defeating him.
Despair began to gnaw at his heart, until his voice dropped to a shattered whisper: "I haven't seen any animals here... Could I be alone with that creature?" The silence of the forest around him was more terrifying than any noise.
Ethan pushed himself forward one last time, climbing a towering hill that he thought would give him a better view. As he stood on the exhausted summit, he couldn't stop the shock from paralyzing him for a moment.
His gaze fell upon what he hadn't dared to dream of: far in the dark horizon, the lights of a small city twinkled like distant promises.
In that moment, Ethan felt pure adrenaline surge through his veins. Civilization exists! Survival is possible!
Ethan shouted excitedly:
"I survived...! Thank you, God!"
Ethan looked at those distant earthly stars, and a look of determination replaced the despair in his eyes. Despite the long distance, and despite the harsh darkness, he knew what he had to do. This was his final mission.
Ethan prepared to descend, fixing his eyes on the lights, unaware whether this small city would represent his final refuge or his biggest trap.
End of Chapter -